Grand Display

Strength Trail

Uriași slid through the underbrush, his wings tucked tight as he moved through the underbrush, occasionally stopping to test some plant or berry that tugged his attention for its properties, mind already working out uses. The past few days it had been hard to concentrate, and even now he felt his focus slipping. Something tugging incessantly, and abruptly his eyes rose sharply. A metallic grating sound escaping his throat rather than a the growl one might expect. He blinked, however, at the metal form above him, fammiliar and not, confused by the same. The presence, the tug... and he growled again, aware on some level what it must be. The challenge boiling through his wires and veins alike. "What are you doing here?" He demanded of the stranger, tail flicking as its tuft glittered. His wires coiling tighter in annoyance for the interloper's presence.

Zia sprawled out on the tree far above the growth the below, absently peering at the gem she held, her whiskers twitching agian at the odd... echo. As if one of Meiron's dragons was nearby yet not. Movement below had her looking down at the huge dragon that slid through the underbrush. Well now, he certainly wasn't one of Meiron's. At his words she blinked, narrow slits glimmering beneath the metal snout. "What does it look like?" she replied, purring at the stranger."Its called sunbathing." Yawning she stretched out, as if the male was nothing more than an tiny annoyance.

The serpentine dragon hissed but refrained from rolling his eyes, "It looks like you are tresspassing." he returned, neatly, then rumbled, not caring presently about their power differences. He hurled an orb of plasma at the lounging dragoness, neatly snatching the gem himself and inspecting it briefly, keeping an eye on the interloper despite his seeming distraction.

She dropped as the plasma orb came her way, metallic talons outstreched as she caught a lower branch, wrapping herself around it she dangled, waving a talon and hissing out a word. "Dagaz, a bright flare lighting the area, as the rune she's used activated, thankfully it was not followed by an explosion this time, but would serve as a careful distraction. The light cleared and Zia continued to dangle, this time at the same head height as the male. "Terratorial much?" She enquired, then yawned. "There are better ways to show your strength though, i mean, i live with earth dragons, generally theyre all much stronger than you." She said conversationally. "Now if you really want to show me how strong you are i know of an a rather large tree thats blocking some some very unusual plants; itll take more than brawn to move it." And some gemstones, but hey if this male was wanting to prove himself..... well.....

"Runes?" he asked, careful to avoid being blinded by the same, "Interesting foci." the jungle dragon drawled, seemingly unimpressed by her sudden proximity and recoiling. His antennae flexing as he watched the stranger languidly. "My denmates certainly are, I see no reason you should meet such." he replied, snorting at the mention of earth dragons, but didn't comment given the temperament of his 'brother'. The itch was still there however, but he ignored it after the blast. Feigning boredom. "What interest do you have in plants on my rider's property, stranger?" he parried, arching a spine brow ridge, reminding the dragoness she had no name to him still, even.

Oh well, no gemstones then... shame. "Plants? Oh i don't, but a certain big male wants to show off, hmm? why else would he launch a plasma orb at me." She purred. Not getting a rise, she shrugged. "Worth a shot." She peered around curiously. "Someone lives here? Well, there are worse places i suppose, not as nice as a warm cave though." Suddenly, she dropped, landing on his head. "Whats next for you, trawling through a desert?" She asked; honestly males doing their Display's were so..... stubborn. "I can guide you, i need to go back that way anyway... oh.. I'm Zia by the way." She purred, settling down atop the males head.

"We have a home, and caverns beneath. Gardens and streams." Uriaşi returned, shaking his head at the thought of living in a hole rather than simply using the basement as storage and working room. He shook his head, pointedly dropping the dragoness when she had the gall to land on him next, but fluffed himself up faintly. He, honestly, hadn't considered the Display, but his scales tingled with the thought. Slowly, he nodded, "I suppose it might be... if I managed to impress you, o great elder." he purred it with just a niggling bite of sarcasm, but a wing flicked curiously. "If I wanted to show off I would do so with a grander display than a plasma ball." he added... then twisted a bit, realizing he would have to do so now... and pondering just how to go about the same. "Uriaşi, a pleasure?" he asked after a breath. Watching the smaller dragoness as he thought.

She slowed her fall, landing gently on the greenery, shrugging at the impress bit, males would be males. "Who knows, maybe you've yet to develop more." came the retort. She scratched at her snout thoughtfully, looking over him. "Yes, a desert is just what you need to prove your ability to adapt." Zia purred, slithering off towards the area, and out of the jungle., turning to look back at him. "Are you coming?"

"A plasma burst is a simple means to an end, nothing more." he returned, "There is not so much as a scintilla of merit to my possessing nor producing such." the dragon objected, but paused, arching a brow ridge, "Should I then infer that my would-be consul is of baser paradigm than may be... ideal?" he inquired neatly as you please. Smirking at the faint tension the suggestion brought, but only slithered a short distance away. Inspecting a flower until the dragoness turned back, a look clearly challenging him to get on with it then. Jurai hated to admit it, but beyond knowing plasma alone was certainly not he wasn't- exactly - certain what was worthy display. Frankly showing off to another dragon had never crossed his mind, but for the annoying itch he probably wouldn't consider it presently either.

Still he slipped forward a bit and eyed the area. Calculating, always calculating, and hos wings crackled with electricity. Around him flowers grew, slowly unfurling translucent white petals as his own wings spread. Still coursing with electricity their veins shone like fiber optic filaments, the color and light swiftly infusing the flowers, coloring and illuminating their petals in an Aurora he controlled. Antennae slowly rising into the display as his body curled and steam began to seep into the space around them, careful not to poison his 'mentor's in the process but letting the electricity arch into the smoke as well. The flammable gas popping and fizzling like thunder between clouds. The occasional burst of fireworks as he ignited a more concentrated pocket and it went off. The flowers and his wings still shimmering like christmas lights amidst the particolored deluge around them. "There..." he said, wings flicking the last of the electricity off as he tried to gather his senses from the magic. Covering the same with a force of will, "More impressive than a simple blast, at the least." he asserted, recoiling, but waited on some level for the dragoness' approval. He blinked at the assertion a desert was next, but uncoiled himself obligingly, "Better than the ocean, at least." he muttered, eyeing the forest once more before following. Wondering just what this annoying itch was going to get him into before all was said and done...

Zia cocked her head at the display, watching it all unfold, the display a very well constructed one, and controlled as well, she reached a talon to touch a flower close to her, whiskers twitching as the magic unfurled. "Isa" She purred, a rune flaring life and holding the display in place for a few moments more, the stillness flaring outward from the dragoness.. "A little bit overkill, as opposed to the plasma burst, especially if you plan to traverse a desert." She commented as the magic finally faded, but her eyes twinkled. "But very well executed, in fact." she purred. "One of best i have seen."

"Isn't overkill rather the asperation of a grand display, regardless?" he asked, head tilting in askance, but it dipped for the praise, and the dragon gave a whisper of a smile for the twinkle in Zia's gaze. One hurdle down... two more ahead, at least one of them a very hot, miserable hurdle no doubt...

WC: 1457

Terrain: Jungle

Flexibility Trial

The noon sun blazed down over ther dry desert, the heat, both from the distant star and the heated sands made for uncomfortable travel, not that Zia minded, the heat could be oppressive, but she personally liked it, of course she doubted her her companion would quite feel the same. "So, is the the heat, the sun or the sand that bothers you the most? or the lack of greenery?" She asked from his shadow, afterall with the sun at the angle it was at, would reflect of the metal companents and could blind him and he's already dropped her of his head once.... such a shame. Far above them a falcon soared, she assumed it was her riders, simply because it had kept apace of them since they entererd the vast desert. Humming to herself she stopped a moment digging beneath the sand, ah there... a small stone, opening her lower jaw with her claw she placed it in there, before continuing her movements with the big male... he really didn't look to well..

He glanced down at the question, wings pinned tight to his back to avoid grit or tearing in the random surges of wind across the flat terrain. Blinking a moment before the question fully registered. The heat was... annoying, especially around his cables, the linkage burning hot under his skin, but the worry of dust and sand getting in and ruining things made his scales crawl. "The sand getting into.... everything... how is it not gumming your servos?" he retorted, annoyed, but at least with his fewer mechanical bits they were better off than the smaller dragon. In theory, at least, and he let the thought comfort him from both annoyances to some degree.

The eyes blinked underneath the metal snout. "Huh... never thought of that?" she responded thoughtfully, the answer though was quite simple. "I'm an earth dragon as well." Came the reply. "So it doesn't bother me, if it builds up to much i just get my rider to clean them." she halted, flexing the claws individually, it was her thunder element that allowed her to control them., rather than any complex machinery, he probably has more components than her... but she wasn't telling him that. "Hmmm....." Poor male. "I know of a place thats less sandy, may limit the damage done to your servos." she started an idea forming. "Still difficult, but not as sandy.... of course, you do have to prove yourself." How best to go about it, hmmm. "Of course it would be easier to show you the route from a higher vantage point, if i may ask for a lift." She asked politely.

"Am I allowed to ask what this alternative is before I agree to prefer it?" he inquired, but blinked for the request, then ducked, she was polite this time so he may as well oblige. "Mind the spines, I don't want to have to cure you out here, most of my regents are in the forest... and I wouldn't know where to find alternatives out here." he warned, simply, before letting his head dip fully into range, still snaking along despite his new passenger. "I can fly, if its preferable?" Uriaşi offered, he wouldn't mind a bit of altitude on the whole ordeal himself, if he were honest.

Zia carefully clambered up the males head, her metallic talons careful when gripping him, she was after all stronger than she appeared. "There's a ravine to the norh." pointing in the direction. "Less sandy, but alot more rocks and rock spires, just as difficult to navigate" She explained, and hesistated for a moment at his offer off flying, it would be quicker except..... "You may want to look about first; surely you're smart enough to see." she said mysteriously, okay she wasn't going to give him all the answers, it was his trial after all, but since he was letting her ride him, she'd dangle a carrot so to speak.

The thunder grumbled for the 'mysterious' tone, but only grimaced, "Is it possible to outrun it?" he clarified, "If aiming for a ravine it should protect us from the storm, last I checked most reccomend avoidance or preparations for sandstorms." he returned, but turned in the direction she indicated, and tried not to growl.

So he had spotted it, clever male. Zia though looked upwards towards where the falcon flew, its flight pattern urgent. "How quick can you go?" She said, her tone deadly serious, rearing up she stared towards the still clear desert beyond, ones like this were deadly, the winds capable of skinning unlucky creatures, blinding others. Raising a claw she concentrated. "Isa." it would buy Uriaşi some time at least.

"How tight can you hold on?" he returned, almost cheekily, but for the way his antennae seemed to wrap her faintly as if to try and hold on for her. Not missing a beat his wings flicked up, and shimmered, before he snapped them off with a crackle of electricity. Eyes thinning as he shot through the sand, kicking a trail up behind them as the dragonfly wings did their work. For all the world the Jungle dragon was, in that moment, nothing more than a giant dragonfly himself, body rigid and wings a blur as they careened through the desert. Thankfully he was also just as fast as the insects, merely on a far grander scale, and the fact combined with the rune was enough. He hoped. Again the antennae tightened protectively around his passenger as Uriaşi spotted the dark gouge in the endless gold that he had become nearly blind to, and his wings neatly shifted, backseat, then forwards, as he angled them into the ravine. The ninty degree jolt contained within the four wings as he twisted, still streaking through the space, ducking and tilting around the jagged edges of rocks or through the tunnels they had formed until he was able to slow enough to land. Glancing up, briefly alarmed, as the world darkened suddenly. Then remembered they had been outrunning a storm, the focus of avoiding the ravine's walls and projectiles having briefly erased the thought. "How long will it take to pass?" he asked, clearing his throat to repeat the question as his voice was almost lost to the furious winds above them.

Zia gripped as tight as she dared, laughing at the thrill of the speed he achieved, finding some fun despite the danger that swarmed behind them; shi did not miss the protective hold of the antennae, her own whiskers running lightly over his head as if in thanks as the sky darkened above the ravine, for now it swept over the ravine, the winds strong but not deadly... for now. Relaxing her grip somewhat she peered around, mind spinning. "A day or two." she answered, making the trek through the desert more dangerous than even she'd been suspecting for the male. "hmmmm."* she thought for a moment, metal talons twitching as she laid back down atop Uriaşi's head. "Oh well nothing to do now but head deeper." She commented. "Up and at 'em." Despite the words, her touch was oddly gentle.

Despite himself Uriaşi grimaced for the answer, then sighed, "You did say this also leads out?" he asked, aware how much his elf would get if he took days to return, that was almost worse a thought than even the sand in his wiring, much as he was shocked for the revelation. The dragon shook his head slightly, careful not to dislodge the female, but slid deeper obligingly. At least they would return, he supposed, if nothing else. Eyeing the storm above with the sort of vehemence of a child kept from their favorite toys. "So... you live near here?" he guessed, "You seem to know the area well?" he rationalized, wings again lighting up as they moved through the darkness, not wanting to bump into anything unexpected, or to miss anything important that may be down here.

"Of course it does." Zia responded.... well eventually anyway. She peered into the suppressive darkness, the winds still strong; above them but for now blowing over the top of the ravine, though that could change at any point. "Not really. Though we come out here quite often." Her mind snagged on a bit of information from one of the others hunts, of a hidden cave system. "Should be a cave system around somewhere, could do some caving." And she could maybe nibble on a couple of stones

"Won't your rider be concerned?" he asked, perplexed by the dragoness' nonchalance, but nodded. Not as if they had anything better to do, really, and maybe if he brought enough back she would make him new parts for whatever she skinned... "Lead the way, oh masterful divining rod of dirt clods." he drawled, but slithered where she directed without too much strife.

"Hmm, not really, as long as i'm not hurt, he knows i can look after myself." She boasted. "Better than a jumped up dragonfly." came the sharp retort, and then she ignored him, her focus on the dark maw that was slowly approaching them.

The dragon considered the same, aware his own rider hardly assumed he couldn't but oddly the lack of concern struck him, "Sounds rather lonely." he found himself offering as they ducked through the ragged hole and peered about. Not something he would have considered before, certainly, and yet it did. The thunder unable to imagine the elf not fretting over him, all of them, coming to find them if they were out too long, just in case. It pulled a hollow twang through him, much as he disliked the sensation. Not that he was ever going to speak of his sudden revelation. Instead he hummed up at the dragoness, practically purring, "Your stop, your magesty?" Uraşi oozed, "One buffet of dirt clods and earthworms, bon appetit." he snorted for the reaction, but hummed, "Beyond the assumption rare deposits woukd be noteworthy discoveries, what exactly are we looking to find in this... caving... expedition you have proposed then, Zia?" he asked, uncertain.

WC: 1687

Terrain: Earth

Providence Trial

Once inside the relative safety of the cave, Zia slipped off Uriaşi, gripping a nearby stalgmite as she peered down the depths of the tunnel, she placed one claw and 'bowed' to the male, eyes gleaming in amusement. "Many thank, good sir." she purred, then snorted. "Lonely?" She giggled. "Not really, when your rider gets as many dragons as mine has, no ones lonely, if we need him, he is there, if not one of the others is, sometimes its impossible to be alone" It was simple, they all knew Meiron cared deeply for everyone of them, but not all needed as much contact with him as the others. "The cenote is constantly growing." She explained, returning her attention to the tunnels, and linked caves if Jurian's story was to be belived. "A nice emerald would be tast... err nice." She started, dropping to the floor and slithering further into the dark earth.

Uraşi flashed his fangs for the slip of the tongue, but hummed his aquesance a moment later, "As you like, Madame, I request only a few things to retain aside your culinary endeavors?" the dragon purred, the self same tone she had used. Nodding to the assessment, "I have numerous... siblings she calls them, myself." he acknowledged, choosing not to mention he was one of the youngest. Uraşi had little doubt the brood of his rider would continue to grow however, she seemed willing to take nearly anyone in, though the Primordial Fire would have more mercy on those who crossed them than his rider, he was certain. Slithering after the dragoness to afford her light as they went, and spared the thought he hoped she knew some direction down here, before starting to log their path in the back of his mind, lest they get stuck somewhere.

"Good for minerals." Zia responded, slipping down a side tunnel, but it ended abruptly and after a scrach at the earth, realsied it wasn't worth the energy to dig further. "Siblings? I suppose thats as good a name as any, we just say horde though" She chuckled, rejoining the male. "And no i dont know what lies further in, hopefully an immense cluster of gems. Its natural though this." She followed up, nosing around the walls.. "Ah-hah." It was tiny, but the small stone vanished almost immediately.

"She is female, and treats us like some ecclectic brood." he rolled his eyes, but couldn't deny hoard would be a good alternative. Tsillah was too much a brood mother for him to use much else, however. His eyes flicked down at the exclamation, and he blinked, then hummed. Peering at the walls as his head slowly tilted, calculating. Then he gripped a stalagmite, cables unfurling to give him more leverage. Tightening and tugging in unison until the stone shattered and gave way, revealing a crater and a dense vein of the same mineral, alongside a small hailstorm of fragments that had broken off with the stalagmite. He huffed a bit at the excess, messier than intended, but it worked and he recurled the cables into solid appendages and fingers once more.m; glancing to Zia for her assessment of his work as he settled back.

"Not bad, a little bit messy though." Zia commented, slipping several more into her maw, from the now exposed mineral vein, she spotted some of the crystals that 'grew' on the walls of the cenote, reaching in she tugged one away, the light shifting from the near dark it had been to a yellow-green. "Your rider might find this helpful, shifts color based on who's there." She explained, none of them ever attempted to eat the crystals, even the younger hatchlings... well .. except for Harvest. "There seem's to be another vein of a different mineral here." she pointed, eyes gleaming, the earth softer this way.

"Interesting... how do they work?" Uraşi asked, taking the stone and tilting it curiously as the green tilted to a vibrant orange on his grasp. "Facinating, they react to our magic? Our elemental affinities?" he mused aloud, less questions and more observation, but jolted a bit for the indication. Nodding and storing the crystal away and carefully claiming a few more, mentally storing the location should Tsillah desire more and following Zia deeper into the tunnels. Curious what lie ahead, given the look in her eyes.

Zia didn't reply, aware the male was likely musing to himself, Kuro did that sometimes, instead she focused on the vein, as it lead through the tunned which started to close in on itself, eventually though it did widen back out and Zia halted leaning over an immense cavern.... with several 'vents' , most of which had collapsed on itself, the chamber the remaining hust of an ancient volcano. All around crystal clusters of various types gleamed. "Well... i think this was worth the detor." She commented, slipping to the nearest one, and carefully breaking off a piece.

Uri blinked at the cavern, impressed, but snorted for the earth's assessment. "Glutton." he accused, but moved to claim his own prizes- preferably before Zia ate them all, "I am going to have to roll you back to this cenote of yours, aren't I?" he tossed, peering through another cluster as he assessed its quality. Nodding after a moment and claiming a few of the larger forms. Perking as he noticed a few fossils embedded in the walls, he was definately going to be returning here in the future...

WC: 912

Terrain: Earth